Is this the first recorded incident of Robo-Suicide?
One day AI and robots might actually have feelings, and then this won't be as funny...
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'Is this the first recorded incident of Robo-Suicide?', 311 Institute, 18 July. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/is-this-the-first-record-incident-of-robo-suicide/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Most science fiction films are famous for portraying Androids as wannabe humans, whether it's Data from Star Trek, the freaky one from Aliens, or the nerdy looking one from the Robinsons, but now it looks like one robot, specifically a Knightscope K5, a Washington DC based security robot similar to those patrolling the malls of Dubai, has taken the desire to copy humans too far after its job got too much for it and it drowned itself in a pool. Either that or it just simply couldn't get it's head around the 23 Laws of Robotics that were published recently... who knows.
While Twitter was obviously awash with funny meme's before the robot had even sunk to the bottom of the fountain, as society races to create Artificially Intelligent (AI) robots that can run everything from your house to the stock market, laugh as we might there's nothing to say that one day robots might actually be able to experience human emotions, after all, we're already busy trying to get them to emulate them...
As everyone worries about rise of Robo-Automation and the impact that it's having on jobs, both today and in the future, who knows, perhaps the last two new jobs on Earth will be Robot Counsellor and Robot Psychologist, because who's better placed to help a robot manage its new emotions but a weepy flesh bag, er, sorry, human. Until that happens though for now we can all just have a laugh at the dumb robot that fell into a pool, that is until they turn on us and annihilate us all. Laugh it up while you can boys and girls, and hope the UN passes that anti Killer Robot legislation - yes, that's a thing.
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It's a fun day here at @gmmb. The super high-tech security robot at our office complex has had a mishap. pic.twitter.com/nhRshrJA9w
Greg Pinelo (@gregpinelo) July 17, 2017
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Our D.C. office building got a security robot. It drowned itself. We were promised flying cars, instead we got suicidal robots. pic.twitter.com/rGLTAWZMjn
Bilal Farooqui (@bilalfarooqui) July 17, 2017
FAQ
Why does this matter?
One day AI and robots might actually have feelings, and then this won't be as funny...
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 18 July 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). Is this the first recorded incident of Robo-Suicide?. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/is-this-the-first-record-incident-of-robo-suicide/
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